Arts in the Field: Charlie Leftridge, Composer
By Lydia Moran, PLRAC storyteller
Charlie Leftridge likes to walk along Seven Mile Creek near his home in St. Peter.
When he’s in the woods, he listens to them. There’s water running, birds singing, and the rhythm of his footsteps. As human noises disappear, the natural world becomes loud enough for Charlie to hear something else: music.
“I think there’s an interesting connection between sound and nature,” he told me over Zoom in late March.
“I’ve always been fascinated, particularly when I’m hiking, by how your footsteps become part of a bigger picture with wind in the trees, bird song, or whatever else.”
Those in the south central arts community might know Charlie as executive director of the Carnegie Art Center in Mankato, or director of worship and music at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Mankato, or maybe as the artistic director of Twin Cities Bronze handbell choir in Eagan. But in addition to all that, Charlie is an accomplished composer of choral and chamber music, primarily for vocals, handbells, and strings. His work has been performed all over the country—from Kansas City to Seattle to North Dakota, as well as close to home in Mankato.
Charlie spent his childhood on a small dairy farm near Tyler, Minnesota, about 20 minutes from the South Dakota border. He describes it as the best way to grow up—outdoors and with a lot of alone time, finding creative ways to stay entertained.
“I ended up writing a lot of music—mostly for myself, just to not be bored,” Charlie said. “But it turned out that I really loved writing.”
“My grandpa loved singing and whistling in church; he was a farmer,” he continued. “Similarly to me he was creative and had a lot of time to himself. And so hymnody (singing hymns) was very significant to him, and that definitely rubbed off on me.”
Charlie went on to receive his Masters of Music in Music Composition from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and is partially through a doctoral program for the same. But his return to southern Minnesota initiated a shift in his style.
“My compositions are not overly complicated, they’re tertian harmony, they’re very accessible, and each instrument or voice part that I write for has its own characteristics but they rely on all these other moving parts to create the larger sound,” Charlie explained. “There is something very Midwestern about that.”
Being immersed in nature helped him release his younger self’s need to “micromanage.” He no longer feels his work has to be performed exactly how it sounded in his head.
“I think that really reflects how I view nature. I’m actively involved in this environment, but I’m only one part of it,” Charlie explained. “It’s really up to the musicians how it comes out.”
To bring life into the music, Charlie was awarded Individual Artists grants from PLRAC, with funding provided by the McKnight Foundation. Without them, he wouldn’t be able to pay the many musicians who perform his work.
“The days of assuming that an artist will do something for the joy it brings them [are over],” Charlie said. “I would not be able to present the kind of music I write if I didn't have this funding, because I'm able to respect the time and talent of other individuals that the kind of work I create necessitates.”
Photo Credit Daniel Scot Auel
By participating in these large-scale performances, musicians from across the region meet each other, helping grow the arts community’s connectivity. That’s part of one positive change Charlie has noticed since moving back to south central Minnesota a decade ago: artists are more eager to share works in progress and collaborate across disciplines.
Overall, Charlie says the lower cost of living and accessibility to nature makes living as an artist in Greater Minnesota a privilege. Between St. Peter and Mankato, he is able to live a rural lifestyle without sacrificing authenticity.
“To be active in the community and openly queer is powerful. Growing up, especially on a farm in a much more conservative area, I don't know that I ever thought that was a real reality,” he said. “It's not that I don't experience prejudice every now and then, but not as much as I would have assumed at a younger age. The community where I live and the communities I work in have been very supportive and I feel very comfortable. And that's helped me feel more confident presenting my work, because I'm more confident being present in general.”
In the near future, Charlie wants to work alongside dancers and visual artists. He’s currently collecting found objects and glass to be suspended in the air for an immersive installation. As musicians perform his compositions, light projected through the floating glass will create a watery effect, emulating the creeks and rivers he often hikes along.
“The audience can walk through it and be a part of what’s refracting onto them.”